The concept of signature experiences grew out of organizational research we’ve conducted during the past five years. Initially, we looked closely at companies with highly engaged employees (as measured by workplace surveys and other tools) and set out to compile a checklist of the common practices these businesses used to foster enthusiastic, committed, mission-aware employees at all levels. Surprisingly, their approaches to talent management varied greatly. For instance, some firms paid well above the mean while others paid below it. Some boasted highly flexible, self-scheduling work groups; others featured more structured, “all hands on deck” environments. The companies’ underlying philosophies about the employer-employee relationship also varied, from paternalistic to hands-off.

The more we looked, the more we realized that the variation in practices was not just noise in the system; it was, in fact, a critical element of the companies’ ability to achieve high levels of employee engagement. These organizations excel at expressing what makes them unique. They know what they are, and it’s not all things to all people.

"...You won’t find and keep such individuals simply by aping other companies’ best practices or talent-management moves, however. You need to be able to tell new and prospective hires what it’s like to work at your company, to articulate the values and attributes that make working at your firm unique. You need to provide a “signature experience” that tells the right story about your company. In the process, you’ll empower the people who share your values and enthusiasm for work to self-select into your firm, thereby creating the foundation for highly productive employee-employer relationships..."

Paul Smith I recently spoke to Paul Smith, who is a consumer research executive, keynote speaker, corporate trainer, and author of Lead with a Story: A Guide to Crafting Business Narratives that Captivate, Convince, and Inspire (AMACOM Books, August, 2012). As Director of Consumer & Communications Research at Procter & Gamble, Paul has [...]

Back in episode 89, about the Power of Brevity, we discussed why brevity works and provided four tips for being brief yet powerful. In these tips, clarity leads to brevity, and vice versa. Now, contrast that with most of the corporate-level communication that companies provide their employees. Whether it’s a letter or email from the …

Creating a social media marketing strategy is a must in order to have an effective social media campaign. Social media marketing should be merged with your traditional marketing efforts, however, a separate marketing plan should be in place to document content strategies and guidelines, short-term and long-terms goals as well as how to specifically measure all social media efforts.

Here are 5 tips to help you create an effective social media marketing strategy:

Excerpt from the useful article by Neil Patel and published on his Quick Sprout Blog:"Content marketing is more than writing blogs. Way more.If you’re just getting involved in content marketing, the first thing you need to do is launch your blog and start writing.Then, when your blog is established and purring along, try throwing in a new type of content.

But before I share the 15 types of content that will drive you more traffic, there are a few things you need to know:- You don’t need to try all of these examples - different content types suit different brands in different ways.

- Don’t be afraid to try new stuff – I’ve found that some people shy away from new types of content because they think it will take too long, be too hard, or fall flat. I understand your apprehension, but I encourage you to try it anyway.

- Pick one and put it in your schedule – if you use a content marketing schedule, slot one or two of these into the editorial calendar for the next month.

- This list is not exhaustive – I encourage you to think of content not in terms of types but ideas. The form that the content takes is secondary. The idea is primary.

Conclusion:The more types of content you use, the more powerful your content marketing efforts become. Content, regardless of its form, speaks to an audience. That audience, in turn, listens, shares, learns, and converts.

There’s a wealth of potential here — the kind of potential that your brand needs in order to advance to the next level. Now, you have a plan to get there..."

Recently, LinkedIn announced that all users can now post and share content on LinkedIn. This announcement took the site from a basic social networking site to a networking and publishing platform, meaning it becomes much more powerful for your business. The Perks of Publishing on LinkedIn Last month, LinkedIn announced that it boasts more than …

Did you know that 78% of Chief Marketing Officers believe content is the future of marketing? That means stories are the future of marketing.

There are other terrific insights this article has to share. If you are a biz story practitioner, this article is good news. If you are a creative working in any capacity in a company, this article also contains lots of good news for you.

Enjoy the shot in the arm this will give you. And for those who lack story skills, get busy!

And many thanks to fellow curator Daniel Watson who found and recommended this article to me :)

Did you know that 78% of Chief Marketing Officers believe content is the future of marketing? That means stories are the future of marketing.

There are other terrific insights this article has to share. If you are a biz story practitioner, this article is good news. If you are a creative working in any capacity in a company, this article also contains lots of good news for you.

Enjoy the shot in the arm this will give you. And for those who lack story skills, get busy!

And many thanks to fellow curator Daniel Watson who found and recommended this article to me :)

Set the stage with those easy steps and EPIC is possible, epic content marketing is probable IF your commitment is strong, you learn fast and you don't mind failing a little. Remember the content you write is NOT about you.

Epic content marketing is always about CUSTOMERS. Answering questions, solving pain points and finding innovative ways to be "of service" are all great ideas for your EPIC content marketing.

Content calendars are helpful in planning blog content, but things fall apart when too much planning makes these documents unusable under real-world constraints. Here’s how to set up a content calendar in a spreadsheet that helps you organize new content ideas, a publishing schedule, and a metrics document — and it easy enough to stick …

Does your business have data that could tell an interesting story? I'm betting it does. I'm also betting you could be using the data you already have (or could readily get) to communicate a much more powerful message than you currently do. The secret is this: When it comes to [...]

I recently read an article that was describing corporate culture as lunch provided everyday & free beer on Friday. If you take away those superficial connections for an employee - which are merely non cash components of a compensation plan and not a long term contributor to organizational culture - an engaged employee will remain committed to excelling in their role and for the organization.

An unengaged employee will be more impacted by that removal, resulting in connecting with that employee becoming even harder to achieve.

Engagement is multi-layered and more complex than being provided a sandwich so that I can continue to work through what should be a period of refreshment called lunchtime.

Sharing your scoops to your social media accounts is a must to distribute your curated content. Not only will it drive traffic and leads through your content, but it will help show your expertise with your followers.

Integrating your curated content to your website or blog will allow you to increase your website visitors’ engagement, boost SEO and acquire new visitors. By redirecting your social media traffic to your website, Scoop.it will also help you generate more qualified traffic and leads from your curation work.

Distributing your curated content through a newsletter is a great way to nurture and engage your email subscribers will developing your traffic and visibility.
Creating engaging newsletters with your curated content is really easy.